SQL Server Agent notifications to multiple (three-plus) addresses fail

[Jonathan Levy]

We have SQL Server 2000 Standard and recently moved from Exchange 5.5
to Exchange 2003. This problem occurred both before and after the
e-mail change.

We would like to send notifications of failed jobs to multiple people
in case one person happens not to be in on the day there is a problem.
Setting up an operator with an e-mail name that combines two
addresses seems to work ok as long as we use a format like the
following:

smith_john; jones_mary

or

sm********@ourdomain.com; jo********@ourdomain.com

However, when we add a third name, we start getting problems. The
first and third accounts listed get the message but the second one
does not -- apparently because the address gets corrupted. For
example (based on the message received at one of the good addresses),
a message sent to:

sm********@ourdomain.com; jo********@ourdomain.com;
ja*********@ourdomain.com

goes to Smith and Jackson successfully but Jones' address is corrupted
to:

jo********@ourdomain.comcom

and, of course, fails.

From some other testing, it appears that the last three characters of
the first address always get appended to the end of the second
address.

Has anyone else run across this? If so, is there a known fix? I had
hoped Exchange 2003 would fix the problem. Most likely, we will try
setting up a personal distribution list under the account from which
the messages are sent. I just wanted to give one more shot to finding
the problem -- both because I would like to know and because being
able to string together addresses is a little easier than having to go
through the person who can give us access to the account to set the
PDL.

Thanks.

Jonathan Levy
Chicago Department of Public Health

[Simon Hayes]

"Jonathan Levy" <le***********@cdph.org> wrote in message
news:4c**************************@posting.google.c om...

We have SQL Server 2000 Standard and recently moved from Exchange 5.5
to Exchange 2003. This problem occurred both before and after the
e-mail change.

We would like to send notifications of failed jobs to multiple people
in case one person happens not to be in on the day there is a problem.
Setting up an operator with an e-mail name that combines two
addresses seems to work ok as long as we use a format like the
following:

smith_john; jones_mary

or

sm********@ourdomain.com; jo********@ourdomain.com

However, when we add a third name, we start getting problems. The
first and third accounts listed get the message but the second one
does not -- apparently because the address gets corrupted. For
example (based on the message received at one of the good addresses),
a message sent to:

sm********@ourdomain.com; jo********@ourdomain.com;
ja*********@ourdomain.com

goes to Smith and Jackson successfully but Jones' address is corrupted
to:

jo********@ourdomain.comcom

and, of course, fails.

From some other testing, it appears that the last three characters of
the first address always get appended to the end of the second
address.

Has anyone else run across this? If so, is there a known fix? I had
hoped Exchange 2003 would fix the problem. Most likely, we will try
setting up a personal distribution list under the account from which
the messages are sent. I just wanted to give one more shot to finding
the problem -- both because I would like to know and because being
able to string together addresses is a little easier than having to go
through the person who can give us access to the account to set the
PDL.

Thanks.

Jonathan Levy
Chicago Department of Public Health

I don't know of any solution to your issue, but I guess the address list
would be easier to maintain in the long run as people (and servers) come and
go, even if getting the initial permissions or approvals seems like more
work.

Simon